In one of its most complete games this season, the Sachem East Boys Lacrosse team dominated East Islip in a 13-2 rout on Friday.
Head Coach Robert Murphy described his defense as young and inexperienced after the game, but they looked anything but inexperienced as they pitched two quarter shutouts and reduced the Redmens' offense to a game of catch around the perimeter during its possessions.
"We finally got two wins in a row, so we’re building confidence," Murphy said. "We’re playing better and if we keep playing well we can match up with a lot of people."
Earlier in the week Sachem East defeated a 5-1 Riverhead team 7-5 at home. Murphy said he hopes the team can put together a roll of wins and secure its spot in the playoffs.
Offensively the team put together a number of well-executed fast break plays, but the score could have been much higher if not for a number of shots that banked off the pipes or missed the net at close range. Murphy said between games the team will have to work on its shooting.
John Vigh led the Arrows with five goals in the game, while Jason Debenedictis cashed in with four goals. Connor Farrell had two goals on the day, while Tom Engelken and Joe Eisemen had a goal each. More impressive in the win was the goalkeeping tandem of senior Pete Degennaro and freshman Michael Bollinger who stopped a number of hard shots at close range and smothered some tough bounce shots. They combined for 10 saves on the day.
Next up Sachem East will travel to Sachem North today to face their inter-district rivals, who dropped a tough game to Smithtown East 12-8 on Friday. Both teams sit at 4-4 in league play, but North has the overall edge with a 5-4 record. They're almost dead even in points, which is the biggest factor in playoff determinations.
Next Game: Sachem East at Sachem North; Monday April 22, 4:30 p.m.
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